ZUTARA WEEK 2018, Day 2: LETTERS
Corresponding Conspirators
DISCLAIMER: Avatar: the Last Airbender belong to Bryke, but Zutara Week belongs to all Zutarians.
NOTE:
This was a very broad prompt so I decided to put my own spin on it by focusing on Iroh and Hakoda trying to set up their children. And part of their schemes would involve exchanging letters. What a fun scenario to explore and I think they would have some pretty awesome interactions with one another if they met during the series.
I have this vision of Iroh and Hakoda as the two kings in Sleeping Beauty, both matchmaking and having fun while doing it. These letters have been sent over a long period of time and are only some of the many that I imagine have been exchanged over the years.
Enjoy!
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To Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, South Pole,
It was a great honor to meet the father of Sokka and Katara and I enjoyed our conversations when I was last with you and the Avatar's friends on Ember Island.
I enjoyed our conversations about the rare varieties of tea that you have in the Water Tribes and those that you have discovered during your travels. Please know that you will always be welcome at my tea house, the Jasmine Dragon, here in Ba Sing Se.
As for the other matter we discussed, I am glad to know that you approve of my nephew for your daughter and that you have seen his true, generous nature. It will be a unique match but one that we should welcome in these times of peace. And it's obvious that they both care for each other a great deal.
But knowing my nephew, he would never say anything about it to her, and he might not even believe that his feelings are returned. Zuko may seem proud but he is also deeply in need of encouragement and support. I have spoken to him about his admiration for Katara but he believes that she will only ever see him as a friend. This situation needs to be rectified immediately, and I hope that if you and I work together, we will be successful.
They will be paying me a visit soon and I have so many plans of leaving them alone together in the tea-house. All they need is ample opportunities to spend time and to get to know each other better. And Ba Sing Se can be such an enchanting place.
I will let you know of my progress.
Your friend,
Iroh
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To General Iroh, at the Jasmine Dragon, Ba Sing Se,
I was pleased to receive your news and the packet of rare jasmine tea that you sent over. This is much appreciated as the fragrance of the tea can be such a balm in the chilly weather of the South Pole.
My son and daughter have come home for the time being while Aang and the others remain in the Fire Nation to fulfill certain duties. Katara is glad to be home with her family though I suspect that she also misses a certain someone. It seems like your schemes to put them together in Ba Sing Se have made some real progress. I often see her sighing and looking towards the horizon and I don't have any doubt about whom she is waiting for.
I confess that it did seem very strange to think that the son of the Fire Lord may become a part of my family. If you had told me this years ago, I would have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. But now that I've gotten to know your nephew, and now that I've seen how very different he is from his father, I can say that I would be proud to call him my son. Katara and Sokka already thought highly of him and I trusted their judgment.
But my daughter can be stubbornly clueless as well and I'm not sure that either of them have taken steps to admit their feelings to one another. Her brother teases her about this but she is far too serious to do anything yet.
There is one problem I have solved. Some of her doubt seemed to stem from the fact that I might not approve of her choice. But I spoke with her the other day and I made it very clear that I approved of Zuko and that he would be most welcome to join our family (as are you, by the way, Iroh, I must say.)
Her smile of relief and joy was indescribable and she hugged me very tightly when I told her all this. I have never seen her this happy and I am grateful to your nephew for this.
When he comes to the South Pole, I will make sure to let him know that he has my blessing.
I hope that you will have an opportunity to visit us someday as we have much to discuss.
Your friend,
Hakoda
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To Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, South Pole,
I believe that we will soon be seeing the fruits of our labor. There is nothing so rewarding as seeing two people I love happy together. And this is finally the case between your daughter and my nephew.
They cannot deny it any longer and they have finally, FINALLY, confessed their feelings for one another. And I am pleased to say that this momentous occasion took place in my own tea house!
Your daughter has undoubtedly told you about this already but I'd still like to share my side of the story. Aang, Sokka, Toph, and the rest had gone to Omashu for some diplomatic conference or other while Zuko and Katara had come here to speak to the Earth King and to pay me a visit. After we chatted, I left them together in their favorite spot in the tea house, a table by the verandah with a wonderful view of the city in the moonlight. I hired someone to play music nearby and, fortunately, the weather cooperated with me as well.
I didn't hear exactly what they said although I was very tempted to eavesdrop. All I heard was Katara laughing at first, followed by Zuko (who rarely laughs!) and then when I went to check on them, they were locked in a tight embrace, with tears of joy on their faces.
Katara smiled at me then and said, "What would you say to having a waterbender as a niece, Uncle Iroh?"
And I confess that I burst into tears as well.
It seems you and I will officially be family soon and there is nothing that could please me more.
Your friend,
Iroh
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To General Iroh, at the Jasmine Dragon, Ba Sing Se,
You should received the invitation by now but I would still like to take this opportunity to personally invite you to the wedding. There will be simple ceremony here, following our traditions, and then one more later this year in the Fire Nation.
Zuko has already fashioned a betrothal necklace for my daughter and she wears it proudly. He has been studying our traditions and he is committed to upholding all of these during the ceremony. Sokka has taken it upon himself to "educate" his future brother-in-law but I fear that my son is having too much fun at Zuko's expense. Fortunately, I am also helping him learn our culture and I think he is more relieved when the information comes from me instead of my son.
I am so proud of them both and I have not stopped telling them this. They have grown up so much in the last few years and they have done so much to rebuild the world after the war. The Fire Nation is lucky to have such a kind and just leader and never would I have imagined that my own daughter would be the Fire Lady. But, as you always say, Destiny is a funny thing.
I will keep this note short as I will be seeing you soon. Let us share a pot of tea together and celebrate the union of our two families.
Your friend,
Hakoda